Sole Meunière Cooked By An Italian
When I arrived in San Francisco in North Beach, the restaurant Basta Pasta served this wonderful version of Sole Meunière. Using my notes from the waiter, this is pretty much how it was made. Later, writer Gary Wolf and I dined out to survey many so-called French restaurants, finding they served entirely Italian menus. ~ Mark.
Delightful Italian Fish Dish.
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds English sole (2 large fillets per person is ideal)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon garlic cloves smashed
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, plus sprigs for garnish
2 lemons, 1 halved and 1 sliced for garnish
| 1 | Place fillets in a shallow dish, add milk, and soak for about 10 minutes. |
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| 2 | Season flour with salt and pepper. Pat fillets dry and dredge in seasoned flour. |
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| 3 | Over medium-high heat, warm olive oil in a skillet, then add butter. When hot, add garlic, mash around, then push aside. |
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| 4 | Add fillets to pan and cook on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer fillets to warmed plates. |
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| 5 | Turn heat to low, then mash the garlic around a bit more and cook a minute. |
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| 6 | Take pan off heat. Add water to pan, squeeze juice from lemon halves, throw rinds in pan, and push around with fork to deglaze the pan. Take out rinds. Add chopped parsley, stir with fork. Pour pan juices over the fillets. |
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| 7 | Present fish, garnished with parsley sprigs and sliced lemon. |
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notes
Peanut oil is a good substitute for olive oil.
A pretty garnish is lemon slices dusted half in parsley and half in paprika.
The French version uses no olive oil, garlic, or lemon deglazing.
